2013 Jaguar F-Type - Aluminum Structure - Web Exclusive

This meets the car’s two goals of low mass and extreme rigidity.

As the F- Type debuts, Jaguar had broken new ground to achieve its goals. The F-Type is built around the most advanced, rigid and lightweight aluminum architecture to date. This meets the car’s two goals of low mass and extreme rigidity.

AC300, a 6000-series aluminum alloy, was specifically selected for parts of the F-Type. The structure is riveted and bonded, emitting up to 80% less CO2 during the manufacturing process compared to traditional welding of a comparable steel structure.

A new process, known as “warm forming”, is used to produce the inner door stamping. Ordinarily, aluminum could not achieve the desired shape, so the metal is heated to 500°F before pressing. Shape and structure are achieved from one large pressing rather than numerous smaller ones. Resulting in a radius tightness of just 8mm, allowing the engineers to reproduce the car’s “heartlines” exactly as the designers intended.

Also included is all-aluminum double wishbone front and rear suspension, helping endow the F-Type with an ideal balance, enhancing the agility of a pure sports car.

Composite materials are also utilized in the new Jag, with structures under the sills, as well as the trunk lid constructed from high-strength polymers, giving an overall vehicle weight of about 3521 lb.

However, aluminum forms the major part of the commitment Jaguar has made to sustainability. More than half the content of the car comes from recycled or reclaimed metal, and up to 90% can be salvaged when the car comes to the end of its life.